Find out more about
the exciting geology of the region and internationally important developments in the Earth
Sciences by joining the Yorkshire Geological Society. You
will find a warm welcome at the YGS, and we are actively seeking new members to become
involved with the Society.

Benefits include:

Membership of the
first geological society in northern England, founded 1837.

A friendly, diverse
group of enthusiastic people ranging from beginners to professional geologists.

An exciting range of
indoor meetings and lectures throughout the region on major topics of interest.

A wide range of
field excursions covering all aspects of the fascinating geology and landscape of northern
England.

Your own copy of our
internationally renowned journal Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society and now
free online access to the complete run of the Proceedings from 1839 onwards (Ordinary
members only)

Regular YGS
Circulars keeping you informed of forthcoming meetings and geoscience events of the YGS
and its many Corresponding Societies in the region, as well as popular articles on geology
and related subjects, and free membership of the YGS-Members online e-mail Forum for both
receiving and exchanging news and information likely to be of interest to other members.

Regular book offers
and discounts.

A
field meeting at Stainland, W. Yorks.: examining the different Carboniferous sandstones on
the moor.

Members hear lectures
on the latest research: a reconstruction of "fire fountains" of gigantic lava
eruptions in Siberia around 250 million years ago, which may have cause the mass
extinction of 90% of the world's species. (Presidential Address of Prof. Paul
Wignall, December 2010).

A
Yorkshire Geology Month walk in Haworth, West Yorks., for the general public,
identifying and explaining the origins of the many different building stones seen in the
village.

CONTINUATION OF 2015 FIELD MEETING PROGRAMME

Sunday 26th July 2015: the Role of geology in the origin of the dramatic scenery of the Malham District: Leader Doug Holiday

Meet: 10.15 am at the Car Park at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Information Centre, Malham SD 900 627; all-day parking fee: £4.50; toilet facilities. This is a very popular parking location so may get full; there is space by the roadside where many visitors choose to park.

Safety: The excursion involves a 7-8 km walk on a variety of public footpaths, engineered, grassy, and stony to rough bare rock. The main climb is up the steps on the west side of Malham Cove; the leader will be taking this ascent at a leisurely pace. The high vertical cliffs and narrow defile to be visited at Gordale Scar may prove claustrophobic to some members. This is a popular path even in poor weather, so we can expect to have lots of company from the general public.

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE EXCURSION

This excursion considers different aspects of the geology of the Malham district and follows and different route to that of last year’s highly successful examination of the mineralisation. The purpose of this visit will be to present an overview of the complex geology of this classic area of British geology, looking in particular at how the nature and location of the resultant varied rock types impacts on the current landscape.

A dominating feature of the geology is the Middle Craven Fault with its long history of movement, in particular during Tournaisian and Visean deposition. To the north of the fault, on the Askrigg Block, the landscape is dominated by prominent pale grey limestone scars, commonly bare and sparsely vegetated, displaying limestone pavements, caves and dissolution karst features and spectacular gorges cut mainly by sub-glacial meltwater. To the south, in the Craven Basin, smoother, more rounded and greener landforms have formed on the Craven and Millstone Grit groups; locally projecting through this topography are rounded limestone ‘reef knolls’ and crags of turbiditic and fluvial grits.

MAPS
Ordnance Survey: 1:25 000 Outdoor Leisure Series 2 Yorkshire Dales - Southern & Western Area
British Geological Survey: 1:50 000 Sheet 60 Settle[The latter is published in two editions, Solid and Solid and Drift; both have advantages and disadvantages for the geologist visitor.]

The Chalk of the Northern Province: its regional context:

Joint Symposium, University of Hull. 10th - 13th September 2015

Field Work on Namurian Stratotypes in Northern England: Preparatory Work throughSummer 2015, followed by Study Visit by International Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy, 9th to 13th October 2015

The Yorkshire Geological Society has been asked to assist a visit by members of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy (SCCS) to inspect a number of stratotypes of the substages of the West European regional chronostratigraphic framework situated in Northern England. While this collaboration with an international geological organisation is a welcome opportunity for the Society, nevertheless this has presented a number of challenges in terms of arranging access to sites. All the designated stratotypes are constituted as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Therefore a formal visit and any collecting or site clearance must be consented by Natural England and access for such activity must also be agreed with the land-owners.

After some preparatory contacts and visits, it is now possible to outline the planned visit. Importantly, this presents the opportunity through the summer months (June-September) for small working groups to tidy up and, as necessary, measure and mark up the various stratotype sections, some of which appear not to have been actively studied since designation in the 1980s (Ramsbottom 1981). An up-to-date summary of the relevant chronostratigraphic subdivisions and their stratotypes may be found in Waters et al. 2011.

Working Group field work for members during Summer 2015

Many of the stratotype sections are deteriorated due to undergrowth and weathering. It is clearly essential that these sections are tidied up, cleaned as necessary and appropriately marked in preparation for a visit of international specialists. Natural England officers have been supportive of this international visit, as have individual land-owners. Nevertheless, clean-up and marking activities will have to be performed in agreement with a framework agreed by all to conserve the integrity of the sites. A framework for these activities is currently in preparation. Members are invited to participate in the various groups which will endeavour to “tidy up” each stratotype on specific work days through the summer; these may be at weekends or mid-week. The stratotypes which particularly require clean-up are the Namurian sections, although some reconnaissance visits will also be made to the uppermost Visean stratotypes (Asbian and Brigantian) in Cumbria.

At the issue date of this Circular the work programme is in development; dates in some cases are dependent upon other factors such as bird nesting periods. Specific dates for work visits will be posted on the YGS website. Coordination of these activities will be through John Knight and expressions of interest to participate are welcome (John Knight: tel. 01773 836253; e-mail jaknightuk@btinternet.com).

Field excursion programme for members October 2015

The planned visit of IUGS SCCS members will take place between 9th – 13th October 2015. YGS members are invited to attend on any of the days or specific site visits. Offers to lead visits to individual sites will be particularly welcome. The sites scheduled for visits are indicated on the attached map. It is anticipated that two stratotypes per day will be visited between Saturday 10th October and Tuesday 13th October, in the number sequence indicated on the map. Visit details are still in the process of finalisation with members of SCCS, Natural England and individual site owners. Details of meeting points and times will be posted as soon as available on the YGS website.

Saturday 14th November 2015, 2pm – 5pm, University of Leeds. Joint meeting with the Leeds Geological Association: Geology in northern high latitudes.

YGS-Members Forum email "Listserv"

Courtesy of the national Joint Academic Computer Network the Society has a "Listserv" type email system "YGS-Members Forum" for rapid communication (e.g. about updates and changes in programmes and events) between the YGS officers and event organisers and the members registered with the system. It also allows individual registered members to communicate with other members. This is a secure system controlled online by each registered member once they have been registered by the YGS, and anyone can remove themsleves from the system at any time.

If you are not yet registered with the YGS-Members Forum and wish to do so, or at least try it out, please send your email address and name to the Circular and Website Editor, Patrick Boylan, at P.Boylan@city.ac.uk.

Important Notice re YGS Programme Secretary

Please note that the previously announced change of Programme Secretary from 1 April did not go ahead. We are most grateful to Christine Jennings-Poole for agreeing to continue in that office for the time being.

A Word from the President

For many of us the field programme of the Society is one of the most valuable aspects of membership, offering not only the opportunity for informed visits to outcrops in our footprint area of exceptional natural beauty, but also to do so in the company of like-minded and enthusiastic fellow-members. However, the number of members who take advantage of the field meetings is relatively small. Later this session Council proposes to issue a questionnaire to all members, within which one of the questions will ask how we can improve the field meetings programme, to make it more attractive to a wider range of the membership. Please contribute your views and suggestions to ensure that field meetings remain at the core of Society activities.

This year the field programme has a somewhat different balance from previous years, reflecting a number of wider meetings and activities which also include fieldwork. We have a number of traditional field excursions, to the ever popular Malham area and to the Scarborough coast, the latter linked to the event to celebrate the life and work of Martin Whyte, our past-President. Also through the summer, there is the opportunity to join working groups to clean and mark up those stratotype sections of the Upper Visean and Namurian in Northern England, in preparation for a visit in October by members of the IUGS Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy; members are also invited to participate in this visit programme. The major event of the year for the Society will be the joint hosting of the Symposium on the Chalk of the Northern Province in early September. This includes two days of field excursions- but please note the need for registration as detailed in this Circular.

I take the opportunity to thank the numerous members of the Society who helped make the Yorkshire Geology Day at the National Coal Mining Museum another successful event. As in the previous year, we were fortunate to count on the participation of Dr Paul Guion (University of Derby) and Dr Sian Davies-Vollum (Sheffield Hallam University) as the geological leaders with local expertise for the underground visits walking down the ventilation incline.

As this Circular was in preparation the news broke of the devastating earthquake which has affected Nepal. This is a salutary reminder of the power of earth processes and the still limited level of our knowledge for prediction and mitigation. Of particular concern must be the extent of such events to impact on the population and daily life in affected areas and I am sure many members will share concern for the people of Nepal and support for reconstruction.

Proceedings now fully digitised from vol. 1 (1839) to vol. 5 with free online access
to individual YGS members

Instructions for YGS member access to the Proceedings of the
Yorkshire Geological Society 1839 to 2011 in the Lyell Collection

This
notice contains important information that will enable you to access the online. Please make sure that you retain the address label
from the envelope containing your latest YGS Circular this contains your YGS membership number, which you will need to activate your
subscription.

Following the launch of the Proceedings in the Lyell Collection,
individual members who subscribe to the journal can now view the entire archive from
Volume 1 (1839) online.

Before you can access the Proceedings online, you will need to activate
your subscription. To do this, go to the YGS Proceedings subscription activation
page:http://www.lyellcollection.org/cgi/activate/ibasic and enter your subscriber ID number in the bottom right hand box. Your subscriber ID
is your YGS membership number,
which is the four digit number shown in the top left hand corner of the address label,
with the prefix YGS (e.g. YGS9999). (Ignore the reference to "Institutional
Subscription
Access" at the top, and to "payment confirmation letter) "on the bottom
line: just put your YGS membership number in the box on the bottom line and press the
"submit" button.)

Follow the instructions on the next screen and complete parts A and B. In part B, you will need to set your own user name
and password, which you will use when you next login
to the Proceedings site in the Lyell Collection. Once you have activated your
subscription, you will be able to browse the PYGS archive.
For subsequent access, go direct to the PYGS site on the Lyell Collection web site at http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/

The links to both the subscription activation page and your regular login are
live on this YGS Home Page and/or can be copied and pasted into your web browser.

Some
British Geological Survey Memoirs for Yorkshire to download

In a major new development for the Society, the British Geological Survey (BGS) had made
available to the Society's website full facsimile copies (in PDF format, including all
illustrations) of some earlier Geological Survey Memoirs, listed below. These are now
available for downloading for personal, academic, educational, non-commercial research and
other non-commercial use, from the Yorkshire Geological Society website
http://www.yorksgeolsoc.org.uk/ only. All users must agree to the BGS terms and conditions
before downloading each Memoir.

Yorkshire Rocks and Landscape  the popular
YGS Field Guide, Third Edition

Yorkshire,
famed for its scenic beauty and its rich industrial heritage, contains some of the most
interesting geology and scenery in
England
, from the moors to the coast, including the
Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks. The influence of the geology on the
landscape and on the industrial development in the region is profound.

This book is a stimulating field guide to
twenty-one locations selected to give comprehensive coverage of the geology, minerals,
rocks, fossils and landforms of the area. Excursions vary from easy halfday walks to
longer outings. Some are in moorland areas such as the Craven Inliers and the Pennines;
others cover the
Dinosaur
Coast, famous for its rugged beauty and natural history, and
coalfields adjacent to the major cities.

Aimed at beginners and more experienced
geologists, the book includes a general introduction to the areas geological
history, detailed location maps, a full glossary of terms, and details of local museums.

Yorkshire Rocks and Landscape will be used and enjoyed by all those interested in the geology and natural heritage of
this exciting and diverse region, especially the links between landscape and the
underlying geology,

About the Authors: The field guide,
edited by Drs. Colin Scrutton and John Powell, has contributions from knowledgeable
academics, professional geologists and dedicated amateurs, many of them members of the
Yorkshire Geological Society. Together in this book they provide the most up-to-date and
authoritative guide to the geology of
Yorkshire and surrounding areas currently
available.

By decision of Council, the remaining stock of this highly regarded volume will now be made available for disposal to members of the Society and attendees at Society meetings. Copies can be obtained at forthcoming meetings; it is suggested that a donation to Society funds of £2.00 per copy will be appropriate.

Important Notice to Members and others:Short
Communications: Proceedings and Circular/Web Site

Rapid
publication of short papers is common amongst journals, particularly those published
weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, as a way of disseminating information quickly on topical or
contentious issues, exceptional new discoveries or major developments. Given its
publication schedule, the adoption of such a publication strategy is not appropriate for
the Proceedings. Nevertheless, as a way of encouraging the membership to make
more use of the Proceedings, and for that matter the Societys other vehicles
for publication, the Circular and web site, Council would welcome more short
communications. Short communications submitted to the Proceedings might
include anything for which it would be worth having a permanent published record, for
example descriptions of new and/or temporary exposures. Those intended for the Circular or web site could include more topical or newsworthy items, including brief
reports of field meetings, new fossil/mineral occurrences, photographs of interesting
geological features with a brief description or the work of RIGS groups. Short
communications to the Proceedings should not exceed two published pages,
approximately 2,000 words (or equivalents including figures) and will be subject to the
normal review and editorial procedures, although a Summary will not be necessary. Please
send your contributions in the usual manner to the Editors (see Instructions to
Authors in the PYGS as a general guideline).

For the A5 format of the Circular (and web site),
contributions should be 300-400 words, but can include colour photographs and figures;
these will also be subject to editorial review. These items should be sent to the Circular
Editor in the first instance (see back page of the Circular for details).

20th September: Nannycatch Gorge and Upper Calder Valley – glaci-fluvial features and Lower Palaeozoic Rocks. Starts: 10:30 Ends: 10:30 Location: Kinniside Stone Circle NY 059139 Description: Meet at 10.30am. About 5km walking on open fellside looking at the meltwater channel, Skiddaw Group rocks and minor intrusions of the Nannycatch Gorge. In the afternoon we will look at the Borrowdale Volcanic Rocks and some of the oldest rocks within the Skiddaw Group, including the problematic Latterbarrow Sandstone.

EAST MIDLANDS REGIONAL GROUP OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Secretary: David Boon, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, daba@bgs.ac.uk

EDINBURGH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: e-mail: secretary@edinburghgeolsoc.org; http://edinburghgeolsoc.org/; Lectures Secretary: Kathryn Goodenough, British Geological Survey, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 0ET, tel. 0131-650.0272, e-mail: kmgo@bgs.ac.uk. Lectures are held in the Grant Institute of the University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, at 7:30pm, except where stated otherwise. These meetings are open to the public, there is no charge, and visitors are welcome. Tea and biscuits are served after the lectures, upstairs in the Cockburn Museum of the Grant Institute. (See http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps for location.)

THE GEOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION: http://www.geologistsassociation.org.uk/: The schedule of field meetings for 2012 includes the following in the wider YGS region: (For further details and to book places please e-mail or telephone Sarah Stafford at the GA Office: geol.assoc@btinternet.com, tel. 020 7434 9298)

HULL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Mike Horne. Tel: 01482 346 784 or e-mail: secretary@Hullgeolsoc.org.uk web: http://www.hullgeolsoc.org.uk/hgmeet.htm/ (Usual meeting place for indoor lectures: Department of Geography, University of Hull, at 7.30 pm. N.B. for security reasons the door is locked at 7.40pm). The Club Nights are open to members of the Society, University Students and interested members of the public. At the end of each of these meeting we will choose the topic or topics for the following meeting. Those attending are encouraged to bring some appropriate specimens, photographs, models or texts to contribute to the evening. The Club Night meetings start at 7-45pm. For further information 'phone 01482 346784.

Sunday 14th June - field meeting to Victoria Cave and Warrendale led by Ian Heppenstall. (Booking Required).

Friday 10th July - evening picnic and field meeting at Mappleton led by Roger Connell

Sunday 2nd August - field meeting - Filey Brigg led by Mike Horne and Rodger Connell

Saturday 29th August 2015 - Roadshow at Hornsea Museum - open to the public from 11 am until 3pm.

NORTH EASTERN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Prof. Gillian FG Foulger, University of Durham, tel. 0191-334.2314, e-mail: g.r.foulger@durham.ac.uk. Lectures are at 7.30pm in the Arthur Holmes Lecture Room, Science Laboratories Site, University of Durham. See website for more details: http://www.northeast-geolsoc.50megs.com

NORTHERN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON: Secretary: Dr Mark Allen, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, e-mail: m.b.allen@durham.ac.uk

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE GROUP OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCATION: Eileen Fraser Tel: 01260 271505 email: fraser@fraserco.co.uk http://www.esci.keele.ac.uk/nsgga/ (usual meeting place for indoor meetings: William Smith Building, University of Keele at 7.30pm

WESTMORLAND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: contact: E-mail: mail@westmorlandgeolsoc.org.uk http://westmorlandgeolsoc.co.uk/ Meetings are on Wednesdays and start at 8 pm (unless otherwise stated) and are held in the Abbot Hall Social Centre, Kendal.

YORKSHIRE MID-WEEK GEOLOGY GROUP: West Yorkshire based informal mainly amateur and retired group that organises monthly field meetings or museum visits on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. Details in regular Newsletters and on the Group's website: http://mwggyorkshire.webspace.virginmedia.com/. Contact: mwggyorkshire@virginmedia.com

OTHER EVENTS AND NOTICES

University of York Centre for Lifelong Learning. two year Postgraduate Diploma in The Geology of Yorkshire and Northern England: An online study programme (with a mandatory one week residential unit in York each year)

Northern England has an extraordinary diversity of landscapes and geological features, and as the largest county, Yorkshire preserves a large proportion of them. From the rugged North York Moors and the limestone pavements of the Yorkshire Dales to the coalfields of South Yorkshire and the shifting coastlines of Holderness, it is in many respects a microcosm of the region.

In The Geology of Yorkshire and Northern England, students will obtain a regional geological understanding with which to interpret larger-scale Earth processes and structures. The programme will provide students with training in advanced palaeoenvironmental analysis and science communication skills. Students will also assess Yorkshire and Northern England's importance to current controversies in Earth sciences, from fracking to climate change, and acquire an understanding of the region's vital role in the history of geology.
This is a part-time Postgraduate Diploma delivered wholly online in a fully supported learning environment. The programme starts in late September/early October each academic year, and places are limited to ensure a constructive atmosphere for discussions. Students can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate after successful completion of the first year if their circumstances change.

Symposium on the Geology of the Marches, Ludlow, 2nd to 4th October 2015

On behalf of a partnership of four organisations--Shropshire Geological Society, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, the Woolhope Club and The Teme Valley Geological Society and on behalf of our Chair, Dr Paul Olver, I am writing to tell you about a symposium to be held in Ludlow over the weekend of 2nd, 3rd and 4th October 2015.

The subject is The Geology of the Marches, from Murchison to the Modern Era. Find attached an information sheet and also reference to our web site geo-symposium.eu. The site is still being added to but already contains many details of the plans for the weekend, which some might wish to start on Friday 2nd for self-guided geology walks and guided visits/workshops at the Shropshire Museums Resource Centre. If you do arrive on Friday you may also register for the weekend at the Resource Centre. We are excited and privileged to announce that our keynote speakers will be Professor Martin Rudwick of Cambridge and San Diego, Dr Alex Liu of Bristol and Professor David Siveter of Leicester. Supporting them will be workshops on a range of topics as well as poster displays and society exhibitions. There is a booking form for your visit and the various events on the web site that you may download and send to us; an online version is planned.

In brief:Friday, self guided geology trails; tour of the Resource centre and workshop at the RCentre; Saturday, lectures, workshops, displays, symposium dinner; Sunday, a choice of five field trips to important sites in this an historically most important area in the development of geological theory and understanding, all based in one of Britain's finest medieval towns set in glorious countryside--Ludlow.

(With thanks to Paul Kabrna, the YGS's first Web Editor, for photographs,
and the present banner heading and other images, and to Clare Gordon, Librarian, Earth
Sciences, University of Leeds, for assistance in maintaining the YGS archive site on the
Leeds University server from 1999 to 2007).